


Silver Lining

by Commander_Grigsby



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, Shadam, Space Dad, Space Dad Shiro (Voltron), Space Husbands, adashi, but its shadam so who cares?!, i need season seven, idk the plot, im picking and choosing, nothing in season seven happened, pidge is a spice ace-lesbian, screw you, yet - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-09
Updated: 2018-08-09
Packaged: 2019-06-24 06:03:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15624195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Commander_Grigsby/pseuds/Commander_Grigsby
Summary: Shiro is scarred.Adam is scared.And they're both overwhelmed with the change that Shiro returning has brought. Somehow, they have to gather the broken pieces and rebuild their relationship. It's either that, or lose the intergalactic war.





	1. Static Signals

The paladins were tired to say the least. They'd been flying for who knows how long through the universe, trying to get back to Earth. They were racing Sendak, hoping, praying that they'd get there first.

The last planet they'd stopped at had been Thyr, a desert planet that had defensive locals. They'd done what they could with the little money they had on them and refueled, loading food and other supplies. It didn't change the fact that they were tired and anxious. Restless nights and exhausting days. And then they picked up on Earth radio signals.

' _Unknown objects... defence... no signal... the... prepare yourselves.. message..._ '

Pidge practically fell out of her seat. "Guys! We've picked up on Earth radio speech!"

"Wait, really?" Hunk yawned, waking from an involuntary nap.

"What does it say?!" Lance cut in, his voice dripping with anticipation.

"Is Earth under attack?" Keith yelled over Lance's voice.

"I'm not quite sure..." Pidge responded, "The connection isn't clear. 

"Can you talk to them?" Shiro's voice silenced the others.

"Er," The Earth chatter crackled with static, "No the connection isn't strong enough."

"Stop your lions, we need to figure this out."

A few minutes later, Pidge, Allura, Hunk, Keith, Shiro, Lance, and Hunk had crowded into the cockpit of the green lion. Thankfully, Krolia, Coran, and Romelle had opted to stay behind in the other lions. 

The paladins listened quietly to the crackling words.

_'Not sure... connection failing... satellite has orbited... planet... no sign of any... unsure... interference..."_

Pidge's eyes went wide with realization, "Our lions must be messing with the signals."

Hunk nodded, "Earth's tech probably isn't advanced enough to properly contact us. Maybe if we reconfigure the intercom and radios in our lions, changing the magnetic field and making it not so harsh..."

"The satellites could pick up on our simplified data..." Pidge paused to think, "And process it through the Garrison computers!"

"Yeah, but to do that we'd have to change the wavelength of our broadcasted messages, which takes time and tools that we don't have." The two frowned, staring intently at the screen.

"And that means..." Lance prompted.

"We can't do anything until we're on Earth." Hunk and Pidge translated together.

Lance groaned.

"Then we just have to fly there ourselves, it can't be far if we're already getting a signal." Keith pointed out.

"What do you think, Shiro?" Pidge turned to the white haired paladin.

Shiro's stomach knotted at the thought of facing everyone on Earth, but he didn't let it show. A leader has to be strong even when weak. "Let's get going." He nodded and the paladins went back to their respective lions.

The Alteans discussed their thoughts and excitement about going to Earth, while Hunk tried his best to let them down easy on their wild fantasies of a magical paradise. The Black Lion's passengers were silent.

"You okay?" Keith ask Shiro quietly.

"What? Oh, yeah I'm just..." He trailed off.

"Nervous?" Krolia filled in.

Shiro let out a breathy laugh, "Yeah, something like that."

"He's not going to hate you you know." Keith reassured Shiro, as if reading his thoughts.

"It doesn't make confronting him any easier."

Krolia placed a hand on Shiro's shoulder gently, "If he truly cares  about you, then he'll be waiting when you get back."

"I hope so." Shiro said under his breath, too low for either of the others to hear.

The ride in silence once more, watching the stars twinkle in the dark void.

"Allura," Shiro finally spoke, "How much longer until we get to Earth?"

"Another quintent at least," Coran spoke. "I say we hunker down and get a good night's rest. We can't be burnt out when we get to Earth."

"We can make it." Keith insists.

"I second that," There's a longing in Lance's voice, "We can't stop now."

"Coran's right, we should sleep." Shiro says, like the space dad he is.

"There's a cluster of asteroids up ahead, we can rest the lions there." Pidge suggested.

The pilots landed their lions on the floating asteroids and set the lions into idle mode. This would be their final night in space before returning home.


	2. Directives From Those Thought To Be Dead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ]

"Apparently, they think they're picking up on alien radio chatter." Professor Ford commented to Adam. 

"What are they saying, the aliens?"

"We can't get a strong signal and it's coming in all static, so no one's really sure."

"You think..." Adam trailed off.

"Don't get your hopes up again," Ford cut him off before he could even get started.

"It was only ten months ago that the speeder crashed..." Adam muttered, "It's not that far fetched that he's on one of the ships."

"I thought you said that you weren't going to dwell."

"I can't just give up!" Adam's voice raised, but he then lowered it to an almost whisper and added, "Y'know, Commander Holt landed back on Earth a few months ago. I think he's put of quarantine, but only his wife can see him. They don't want the media involved yet."

"Really?" Ford's eyebrows raised, "So you think..."

"It's not that hard to picture, that he's still out there."

"Hey," Ford'a voiced turned soft, understanding, "Just don't get yourself worked up about it, I don't think the other professors and I could stand to see you break again."

Adam nodded sadly, "I hope he's okay."

"We all do."

Adam bit back a retort.

"He may be your fiance, but he was all of ours friend."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cross published on Amino, Tumblr, and Wattpad
> 
> Amino user is contemptuousCommander
> 
> Tumblr and Wattpad are androgynousAuthor


	3. Chapter 3

"So..." Lance broke the silence over the radios, curling into Kaltenecker's warm body.

"Go to sleep, Lance." Pidge groaned from her own lion. Matt was asleep in the corner of the cockpit, while she slumped in her chair.

Lance quieted down for the fifth time that night. The other paladins tried to close their eyes and sleep, hoping to at least get something out of their delay. Unfortunately, it was futile. Shiro could only stare at the dark ceiling of his former lion, trying to sort his thoughts. Krolia had retreated to one of the storage areas in the lion to sleep, while Keith sat upright, completely awake, in his pilot's seat. The other lions had a similar situation. The world was was quiet except for the soft breathing of sleeping people. 

"Are you guys also having trouble sleeping?"

"Lance!" The paladins whisper-screamed in unison. 

A few more seconds of silence before another voice breaks it.

"Yeah... I can't sleep either." Hunk says quietly, trying to be more considerate than Lance.

"You guys wanna do something?" Lance asks in response.

"What exactly do you propose? We're in completely different ships." Pidge points out as she spread her legs out onto the armrest of her seat. 

"Okay, now you've got me up. What's happening?" Allura yawns.

Shiro listens in on their sleepy exchange, Keith doesn't do much more than lazily gaze into the dark screen of his lion.

Lance sits up straight, pounding his fist into his palm in thought, "20 questions!"

"Oh, god, no," Keith groans, "That's going to take forever to finish."

"Well, hello, Leader Keith," Lance teases the black paladin. "Will you be joining us?"

"Make it five questions and I'll play along."

"Deal."

"Who's even awake?" Pidge asks, yawning. "Say your name or something, I'm too tired to figure out voices."

"Allura."

"Hunk."

"The most gorgeous and bes-"

"Keith," He paused and looked back at Shiro, "You playing Shiro?"

"Yeah, sure." He answered, a bit loud considering there were sleeping people around him.

"First question! Everyone answers, least favorite thing about space?" Lance starts off, cheerfully perking up and waiting for answers.

"The food goo,"Hunk answer quickly, if not a bit sheepishly.

"Unreliable internet."

"But Pidge, the lions and castle both have internet connection and web access."

"Yeah, but not every quadrant or planet has a steady connection..."

Allura rolled her eyes, "I don't like how only Coran, and now Romelle, are the only alteans."

There was a shocked silence.

"You okay, Allura?" Lance asked tentatively. 

"I'm fine."

"Moving on... I don't like that it all looks the same." 

Pidge was quick to respond to Lance's answer. "But every star system is different. New constellations, planets, gas and rock formations. Color burst and asteroid fields, Lance space is constatly changing. It  _does not_  all look the same." 

"Fine, be all scientific about it," He crossed his arms, "Just saying..."

"I hate that there's a war going on." Keith stated bluntly. The paladins were silent for another moment , realizing the point in awe.

"Yeah... I have to go with Keith on this one." Shiro said, finally contributing.

The paladins nodded along in silent agreement.

Hunk gave the next question, "Favorite alien we've met?"

"If you guys don't say me..." Allura growled.

"Aside from Allura and Coran and Romelle, who are obviously our favorites." Hunk was quick to right his mistake. "Mine's Shay."

"My mom, Krolia."

"That was a no-brainer," Pidge pondered their own choice, "Rover."

"Rover's not an alien, Pidge." Lance argued, "And he's not even worki-"

"Lance..." Shiro warned, like the true dad he was, "Lay off."

"Fine. I liked the mermaids, they were fun."

 _"Fun?"_  Pidge inquired.

"Fuck off, Pidge."

"I quite like all of you, and to me you guys count as aliens." Allura said, voice quiet, as if to remind Pidge and Lance that their loud voices were going to wake up their companions.

"Aww, thanks Allura," Lance's voice was a suave, flirting tone, though it was good natured.

Allura groaned, "I already regret saying that."

"What about you, Shiro?" 

"There's too many to choose."

"That's not an answer!" Lance exclaimed, "You have to pick."

"The majority of aliens I've met have been trying to kill me, and the remaining were either chosen by you guys already, or were annoying." Shiro paused, "So there."

"Whatever." He grumbled. "Favorite out of all of the ones awake, like who do like best?" Lance continued, his voice peaking with arrogance, obviously fishing for a compliment.

No one raced to answer.

"That's like asking a parent to choose their favorite kid." Shiro stated simply, "You can't ask that and get an answer."

"Spoken like a true father." Pidge said in exaggerated wisdom.

"Do you really think of us as your kids?" Hunk awwed, "We're like a big space family."

"I wouldn't say that... I'm not a father..."

"C'mon, you're like that most father figure-y person we know." Hunk continued, his voice a joking tone. "We've said this before."

 Keith turned around in his chair to look at Shiro, "You kind of are."

Shiro gave a wholehearted dad laugh, "I'm not that much older than you guys." 

"Denial is the first stage." Allura joined in, "Soon you'll be joining Coran in the elderly person club."

"What about Krolia?" He asked, "Doesn't she count for anything?"

"Psh," Pidge scoffed, "Have you seen Krolia? She's too hot to be a mom, she could be like seventeen and I wouldn't be surprised- no offense Keith."

A faint blush of embarrassment crosses Keith's face, barely visible in the darkness. "Do a different question, please. 

"Hunk's my favorite," Pidge ignores Keith, "He make us food, that bumpps him ahead of all ofthe rest of you."

"What are you humans excited, or nervous about going back to Earth?" Allura answered Keith wishes and asked a new question. It was met with a stony silence.

The paladins thought. 

Shiro's mind buzzed with surfacing emotions and memories that had been knotting his stomach for this entire journey. he hadn't been on Earth for nearly two years, not including the day he had returned for. It scared him to think of what could've changed, and what change was yet to come. When he returned- when all of them returned -no longer would they be students at the Garrison. No longer would they be normal people. The paladins had traveled deeper in space than any other human. The paladins brought news of war and pain that Earth would otherwise be oblivious to. But what about Adam?

Shiro sucked in a s harp breath at the idea of seeing him again. Anxiety and excitement.  Their fighting before he had left was petty, not something they normally did. And just the prospect of being able to see him again made Shiro's heart swell. But fear tugged at him. Because what if Adam had moved on and really not waited for him? What if when Adam saw him again, Shiro would be a different person, one that Adam decided he no longer loved? What if they were too late and the Galra had already come and destroy Ear- 

Lance spoke, interrupting Shiro's panicked thoughts. "I want to see my family again. My mom, and dad, and siblings, cousins, and- and all of them." Shiro noticed how Lance's voice broke slightly, dragged down by homesickness. 

"My mom," Pidge said quickly, "She lost all of us, and I just want to give her a hug."

Another silence, one where the radio simply buzzed with static. It allowed Shiro to try and collect his thoughts.

"I can't wait to eat my parents' cooking again. And to feel the sun, even if it's the flaming desert sun." Hunk's tone was warm and forced , like he was keeping himself thinking about all of it in a good light. Like it was the future instead of the past.

And they waited. Shiro looked at Keith, who faced him now, though Keith only stared at the floor. Shiro could tell that Keith was thinking about his dad. He knew the boy well enough to recognize the pained glint in his eyes. Mournful and reflecting. As if Keith could only think of how horrible it was that his dad was gone. As if that was the only thing he could think about. Shiro could also see that Keith could only think about his dad when he thought about Earth. That Keith thought that he had nothing else to look forward to besides seeing his dad's grave again.

Shiro answered before Keith, hoping to give him a chance to think about something besides the negative. "My fiance, and the garrison."

A pause before Lance yelled, "You have a fiance, and you never told us!!"

"I mean, it's not like it was a secret..." Pidge pointed out. "Keith and I knew, plus Hunk sort of caught on."

"Sorry, what's a fiance exactly?" Allura asked.

"Like a stage between being married, you know what human marriage is right, and just being romantic partners. It's kind of unnecessary to call it something different."

"Why am I the only one to never pick up on these things?" Lance complained, a bit too loudly.

"Lance, it's not that big a deal..." Shiro said awkwardly.

 "I didn't notice that Pidge was a girl, I didn't notice that Keith  had tried to be not a jerk, I didn't notice when Hunk's cookies were burning, and now this. How oblivious am I?"

"Pretty oblivious," Hunk answered the rhetorical question lightly. 

"What about you Keith?" Allura moved the conversation along.

"Oh, uh..." He looked surprised, not quite expecting to be noticed. "I want to see my knife collection again."

"Why am I even surprised?" Lance groaned.

**Author's Note:**

> Cross published on my wattpad, tumblr, and amino.
> 
> Amino username is contemptuousCommander
> 
> Wattpad and tumblr username is androgynousAuthor


End file.
